On 29 June 2026, the Dutch government launched an internet consultation on the Leave Act, a proposal intended to modernise and simplify the Dutch leave framework. The internet consultation ran until 10 August 2026. The government aims for the Leave Act to enter into force in 2028.

The proposed three-pillar model

The Leave Act restructures the leave system around three pillars:

  • Pillar 1 – Care for children: This pillar covers leave connected to birth, adoption and foster care. Existing forms of family-related leave would be reorganised into a more coherent framework.
  • Pillar 2 – Care for others: This pillar would cover care leave for family members and others requiring support, including palliative care. One of the most significant proposed changes is the merger of the current short-term and long-term care leave arrangements into a single entitlement of 8 weeks. Under the proposal, the first two weeks would be paid at 70% of salary, while the remaining six weeks would be unpaid. The proposal also broadens the group of individuals for whom care leave may be taken.
  • Pillar 3 – Personal leave: This pillar covers emergency leave and short absences resulting from unforeseen personal circumstances.

Harmonised formalities

The Leave Act also harmonises administrative formalities across leave types. Most parental leave arrangements will share a standard notice period of six months, and the requirements for notifying leave and claiming benefits will be aligned.

In addition, the proposal introduces a mandatory wage replacement payment (loonvervangende betaling). Employers will be required to continue paying employees through the regular payroll cycle during leave periods for which a UWV benefit applies. The employer must then claim the benefit from UWV directly. Under the current Work and Care Act, this is not mandatory for all leave types – some employers already do this in practice, but others leave it to employees to claim the benefit from UWV themselves, which can result in temporary income gaps.

For employers, this means a new pre-financing obligation: the employer must estimate the benefit amount (based on the employee’s social insurance wages in the reference period) and advance the payment. Any difference between the advance and the actual benefit can be settled afterwards, subject to conditions. The proposal allows employers to apply for UWV benefits in advance, to keep the pre-financing period as short as possible.

Bereavement leave Alongside the Leave Act, a separate legislative proposal on bereavement leave remains pending before Parliament. The proposal would introduce a minimum entitlement of five days of paid leave for employees who lose a partner or minor child. Although this proposal is not formally part of the Leave Act, it reflects a broader policy trend towards expanding statutory leave protections.